A nationally coordinated police inquiry into the Edward Heath allegations is to be set up by the end of week.
Photograph: David Cairns/Getty Images

The barrister who withdrew a 1990s prosecution against the brothel keeper at the centre of the Sir Edward Heath child abuse controversy knew she had planned to make allegations against the former prime minister but has insisted he dropped the case for other reasons.

Nigel Seed QC, who is now a judge, said police told him Myra Forde intended to accuse Heath of using male sex workers, in her trial at Winchester crown court in 1992. But, contrary to a claim by a retired Wiltshire police officer, Seed said he dropped the case because the three witnesses in the case refused to give evidence.

In a letter to the Times, Seed said three witnesses, all sex workers who allegedly worked for Forde at her brothel in Salisbury, Wiltshire, failed or refused to give evidence at court, leaving him with no choice but to offer no evidence.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) sparked a flurry of revelations when it revealed it was investigating claims by a retired senior officer that Wiltshire police dropped a prosecution against a suspect – later revealed to be Forde – because threats were made to expose Heath as a paedophile.

But Seed has provided a different account. “On the day of her trial, there was a large number of reporters at the court,” he said. “I was informed by the police that this was because the defendant, who had been on bail, had let it be known that if the case progressed as far as her having to give evidence she intended to allege that she had provided rent boys to Edward Heath.”

Seed said there was no suggestion the men were underage or “anything more than male prostitutes” and furthermore these were “unsubstantiated assertions”.

“The decision for the case to proceed no further was mine and was based on the lack of evidence and had nothing whatsoever to do with any potential allegations against Edward Heath.”

A nationally coordinated response to emerging allegations against Heath is seen as necessary to bring together a range of inquiries and is likely to be announced by the end of this week.

After the IPCC announced its inquiry, Wiltshire police launched a fresh appeal for any potential victims or witnesses of abuse by Heath to come forward. Shortly after, Jersey, Kent and Hampshire police forces confirmed they, too, were investigating claims against the former Tory leader.

Scotland Yard said it had been approached in April with an allegation of abuse against Heath but there was not enough evidence for the force to pursue the claim.

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However, it has refused to confirm or deny reports that allegations against Heath form part of its Operation Midland inquiry into abuse by high-profile figures in the 1970s and 80s at various locations including Dolphin Square.

North Yorkshire police said it is not investigating any claims against Heath but it is trawling records for references to the former PM following publication of photographs in which he is in the company of Jimmy Savile and suspected paedophile Peter Jaconelli.

It was announced last year that Jaconelli – an ice cream magnate and mayor of Scarborough who died in 1999 – would have been prosecuted for sex offences along with Savile if he had still been alive.

The photograph from the 1970s shows Heath shaking hands with Jaconelli as they take part a civic engagement and are surrounded by crowds.

Heath is known to have met Savile, whose alleged widespread abuse against children and adults is now well documented, on several occasions.

A statement from North Yorkshire police said: “To clarify, North Yorkshire police is not currently investigating any complaints linked to Edward Heath.

“We are, however, undertaking a comprehensive search of force systems to assess if there is any information or intelligence held in relation to Mr Heath.

“Until this work has been completed, it would not be appropriate to comment further at this stage.”

Heath is one of about 76 politicians – some alive and some dead – who have been or are still being investigated by forces across the country examining allegations of sexual abuse of children. The identities of most of the politicians have been kept out of the public domain.

Following the conflicting accounts from the former brothel keeper and Seed, Wiltshire police declined to say who was interviewed as part of the forces’ eight-month investigation into claims from a former senior officer before passing their findings to the IPCC.

“Since this information came to the attention of the force, an investigative team have been working closely with a number of key stakeholders. Due to the ongoing investigation it would not be appropriate to go into any further detail at this time,” a police spokeswoman said.

She confirmed reports that the force has received a number of new claims of abuse against Heath since conducting a press conference in front of Heath’s former home in Salisbury on Monday.

The IPCC is now expected to examine the claims from Seed, Forde and her solicitor as part of its inquiries into an alleged coverup. A spokesperson for the IPCC declined to say who it will be interviewing as part of the inquiry, or when it hopes to conclude.